The Picnic
by iPinkNinja
Summary: Lizzy's family comes over to Pemberly for a picnic and a suprise party for her. Happy fluffy! Includes cats and a dog. Please R&R! One-Shot.


**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original P&P characters. **

**Hi everyone! I hope you like my latest fic! It is a gift to my friend ipodrocker16 for her birthday. Happy birthday buddy! I hope all of you, including ipodrocker, like my story! **

**Note: Mr. Bingley and Jane have been married a year. The courting period for Lizzy and Mr. Darcy was long but they finally got married. It will be explained more later.**

Elizabeth had always thought that the grounds of Pemberly were enchanting. The time she went there with her aunt and uncle, the wild, yet tame manor of the grounds held her captivated by their beauty. Now that she was mistress of Pemberly, she could see them whenever she wished. Tonight the Darcy couple was holding an outdoor picnic on those very grounds. The Bingley's and the rest of the Bennet family (excluding Lydia, for nobody knew where she and Wickham had gone) were going to attend. It was going to be a night of fun and laughter. The preparations had been the only challenging part. There had to be adequate blankets and chairs for everyone that was to come. The guest list had to be finalized and invitations distributed. Replies had to be sent back and the food and seating adjusted to fit the needs of the guests. Kitty was bringing the new neighbor's daughter, Miss Caroline Quinn, to meet her eldest sisters and their husbands. Needless to say, Miss Quinn was very excited to meet Lizzy and Jane, for she had heard nothing but praise to them from Kitty. Miss Quinn had also heard that the grounds of Pemberly were beautiful. That sentiment just reinforced the excitement. Mary had invited her soon to be husband, Mr. James Moore. When their engagement was announced, everyone was surprised. Mr. Moore is a very jovial man, who is most unlike Mary. But against all odds, they started to love each other. He has changed her for the better. Elizabeth noticed that, once Mary met Mr. Moore, Mary was a livelier person.

Once the blankets and chairs had been set out, the food table made an appearance. Mr. Darcy and his steward, Mr. Towers, carried it out of the house and put it on the front lawn. Lizzy stood watching them and directing them.

"A little bit more to left… Now a bit forward... Back… Perfect!" Lizzy said with a smile. "It looks perfect. Now where is Cook? We need to get her to set out the white soup and bread. And my family will be arriving soon from Lambton."

"I shall fetch Cook and inform her of your wishes." said Mr. Towers with a small bow towards Lizzy.

Lizzy thanked him and turned towards her husband. "I'm excited for my mother and father to see our home. We should have had them earlier."

Darcy smiled at the word our. "It will be a pleasure to finally show them our estate. I wish we could have had everyone earlier but our schedules just didn't allow it."

And it was true. The first month of marriage for the Darcy's had been busy. Mr. Darcy had several business meetings in London and Mrs. Darcy had gotten used to being mistress to such a big property. Lizzy also had to become acquainted with the ladies of the Town. It was a productive month, but they felt the deserved a break.

And so they decided to hold a gathering for all their immediate friends and family. The idea had been received with happiness on both sides. The Bennet family had made plans to stay at the Gardiner's new home in Lambton, which was a mere five miles away from Pemberly. The Bingley family was going to take their carriage from their new residence, Willow Creek. Willow Creek was the neighboring estate to Pemberly. Both sisters found it convenient that their sister lived within walking distance and they could call upon each other whenever they needed or wanted to.

"Mrs. Darcy? The Bingleys have arrived and are waiting in the parlor." said the housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds.

"Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds. William and I will show them out here." The couple walked off towards the grand house, excited to see the newest addition to the Bingley family. Jane had given birth just a week previous to a healthy little girl. They had named her Sarah Elizabeth Bingley. Even though Lizzy had only met Sarah once, she loved her with all her heart. The little girl had blonde hair like her mother and green eyes like her father.

"Jane! How nice it is to see you again! And little baby Sarah too!" Lizzy went over to her sister and her niece. She gave both of them a hug, and kissed baby Sarah on the cheek.

As the ladies exchanged hugs, the men shook hands.

"Congratulations on the adorable baby Charles. She is a perfect combination of both of you." Mr. Darcy said with a smile.

"Thanks Darce! She is a joy and a blessing to us all. It will be a new experience for both of us. So far, our little Sarah has been sleeping very well for one so young." Mr. Bingley said with a loving glance towards his wife and daughter.

Just then, Mrs. Reynolds came in to the parlor leading the remaining guests. There was a squeal of pure joy as Kitty Bennet saw her little niece.

"Oh Jane! She is beautiful! And so small! May I hold her please?" Kitty exclaimed, holding out her arms.

There was laughter around the room as Jane handed her little girl over to Kitty.

"Just be really careful with her Kitty. Here sit down here. It will make it easier to hold her comfortably. Can you introduce us to your new friend?"

"Oh yes! Everyone, this is our new neighbor, Miss Caroline Quinn. Caroline, these are my sisters Jane and Elizabeth and their husbands Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. And this little baby is Jane's daughter, Sarah."

The respective couples waved and a collective "Nice to meet you." could be heard. Little baby Sarah just laid in Kitty's arms, looking at Caroline.

Caroline curtsied and said "Hello! It is nice to meet all of you in person. Kitty has said nothing but good about all of you. I look forward to getting to know you better."

Kitty carefully gave baby Sarah back to Jane, whispered something in Caroline's ear, and they promptly exited the room. Kitty stuck her head back in to the parlor and informed her mother that they were going for a walk in the gardens. Mary smiled at her sisters antics.

"Lizzy! How beautiful and grand the grounds are! They are simply stunning. The flowers lining the road are magnificent."

Lizzy smiled at her mother's words. "You have to thank the gardener, not me for those flowers. He keeps wonderful care of them. They are most pleasing when we go on walks. I will have to give you a tour later this evening."

"That would be most pleasing! Your father would also love to attend." Mrs. Bennet said, about to send a pointed look towards her husband. "Speaking of your father, where is he?"

"He said something about going outside to help finish preparations." Jane said, joining their conversation. "The men also went out."

"Well it is time we join them! We have chairs and blankets for everyone." Lizzy said.

The ladies walked out of the parlor and out on to the grounds to see blankets spread over the grass and the table covered with food. Oddly, he men were nowhere to be seen.

"Where could they be? I for one know that Mr. Bennet would never skip a meal! Oh my poor nerves! They shall miss supper if they do not appear soon!"

Just as Mrs. Bennet said that, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, and Mr. Bennet could be seen, walking towards the house, deep in conversation about an unknown subject.

"Mr. Bennet! Pray, tell me where you were? We were worried that you were going to miss supper!"

At this, Mr. Bennet rolled his eyes.

"Dear, I would never miss a dinner, much less a dinner held by my daughter. Let us go dine now without any more distractions."

And with that, Mr. Bennet walked past his wife and sat down in one of the chairs provided.

"Well let's do what my father said. Cook could you please alert the maids to start handing out soup? I shall go find Kitty and her friend and tell them dinner is being served." Lizzy didn't have to go far to find Kitty and Caroline. They were sitting on the bench by the roses, talking and giggling to themselves. When Lizzy turned on the path leading to the rose bushes, the girls immediately fell silent.

"Hello Kitty, Caroline. Dinner shall be served in a matter of minutes. Your presence would be greatly appreciated by mother."

At these words, Kitty and Caroline rushed past Lizzy, eager for food.

"Thanks for informing us of that Lizzy! We were wondering when we were to eat." said Caroline politely.

Lizzy smiled. "You're welcome! Now let's get back before Mama is angered."

The girls readily agreed, and the threesome walked down the path leading towards Pemberly.

Along the way, the girls saw an apple tree filled with bright red fruit. The deep green leaves were beautiful when contrasting against the bright red apples. They decided to pick some and bring them back to the gathering.

"Mama shall be so pleased! They will add a bright splash of color to the meal!" said Kitty, picking apples off the tree.

"Very true Kitty! I do hope she will be pleased. Now we must be getting back before Mama throws a fit. That will be not pleasing at all." Both Kitty and Caroline nodded and the girls set off down the path once again.

When they reached Pemberly, Mrs. Bennet was about to set out down the path.

"Lizzy! Kitty! Caroline! There you are! I was about to come get you myself."

"Sorry Mama! Caroline, Lizzy and I just stopped to pick these bright red apples off a tree near the path. I thought they would accent the food nicely."

"That's ok Kitty, I was merely worried about you girls."

Lizzy smiled at her mother's words and walked over to her husband.

"William, we should announce dinner soon before my sister and her friend wander off again. We wouldn't want my mother to worry about them unnecessarily. Will you please alert the staff?"

"Of course. We wouldn't want our guests to be kept waiting! I shall go alert Cook and the rest of the maids. I will be back shortly." They parted ways with a soft kiss on the lips.

Once the staff had been alerted, Lizzy announced dinner. Everyone was given a bowl of soup and a small slice of bread on a plate. Everyone ate in relative silence. It was not a bad silence however. Everyone enjoyed the company of all the other people there. After all the guests were done dining, a maid came out and collected the bowls and plates. She went back inside the grand house and came out with a cake which was covered in icing. The icing read "Happy Birthday Lizzy!" When Lizzy saw this she gasped.

"Oh my! Whatever is this for? My birthday isn't for another week!" she exclaimed in shock.

William laughed at her reaction. "This was the only time that your family could be here. So we agreed that we would celebrate tonight. Your present from the Bingleys and your family is somewhere by the stables. The present from me is with the others in the stable." And seeing the eagerness showing on her face he added, "You can go see the gifts by the stables later when we go on a walk."

She responded with a slightly dejected look. Then laughed and asked, "What is it? Is it a cat? A dog? I would very much enjoy an animal companion of some sort."

"Well your wishes will be granted. I shall not tell you what it is exactly but it will hopefully keep you company." William replied mysteriously. "We should go rejoin the group. Don't worry my dear, we will go to the stables before the night is over."

The couple rejoined the group with pleasure. After awhile of talking about lace and dresses, Lizzy could see that the men were bored out of their minds. She debated internally about how to halt the conversation. Finally she came to the conclusion that she should suggest a walk.

"I really do hate to interrupt but I think we should go on a walk now, lest the dark prevent us from going."

The company quickly agreed and paired off. Kitty and Caroline went first, Mary and James went after them. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet followed Mary and James. Jane and Charles were second to last and Lizzy and William brought up the rear. The sun was setting and they were bathed in a golden/pink light. Lizzy, being too distracted by the prospect of a surprise in the stables, didn't notice the clichéness of the scene. Usually Lizzy hated clichés but the eagerness cancelled out all those thoughts.

As the group walked in the direction of the stables, Lizzy grew more and more excited with the prospect of an animal companion of some sort. She was sure it was a horse. Why else would it be in the stables?

_A horse would be nice. But I will have to ask Will to teach me how to ride. _Lizzy thought. She hadn't ridden a horse since she was 9. That day, the horse had bucked her off and broken her wrist. Lizzy hadn't had a need or want to ride ever again.

"_Lizzy! Come look at the horse! Papa has brought it back to the stables!" A 9 year-old Lizzy heard her sister, Jane say. "It is the most beautiful creature I've ever seen! Please join me!"_

_Lizzy sighed. She was just getting to a good part in her book, only to be interrupted by one of her sisters… again. She sighed again and put her book down. _

"_I am coming Jane!" Suddenly a thought popped into the young Elizabeth's head. "Jane! Will you tell Papa that I wish to learn how to ride?"_

"_Yes Lizzy! Now hurry!"_

_At Jane's words, Lizzy ran, holding her shoes, to the stables were Jane and her father were waiting. As she rounded the corner, Lizzy saw the horse. It was pure black with a white star-like mark on its forehead. Lizzy gasped and skidded to a halt as her father let out a chuckle at her reaction._

"_I'm assuming you like her Lizzy? Her name is Twilight. She is a gentle spirited horse, perfect for riding."_

_Lizzy just stood there transfixed by the sight of the horse. She then started jumping up and down._

"_May I ride her Papa? Please please please? Will you teach me?"_

_Before Mr. Bennet could reply, Lizzy attempted to hop up on the horse. Twilight was gentle at first, but as Lizzy tried to get her to move, she started to panic and move around. Lizzy, being impatient grabbed her mane and leaned forward. Twilight moved out of the stables, still prancing nervously. As Lizzy attempted to keep moving forward, her father called out and told her to get off. She ignored his warning and kept moving around. Finally, Twilight was fed up with the antics of the little girl. She bucked, throwing Lizzy off. Lizzy landed solidly on the ground with a sharp snap. Immediately she began to cry. It hurt so badly! Her father and Jane rushed over to see a crying Lizzy hold her wrist._

"_Jane fetch your mother. Her wrist is broken."_

_These were the last words Lizzy heard, for then she fell unconscious._

Lizzy shuddered. Her fear of falling was quenched by the thought that William would be there to help her when she needed him. She smiled at the thought.

"Lizzy? Would you like to go look?" William said, teasingly.

"Of course! I am very excited to see what it is." And with that, Lizzy rushed in to the stables to see all the regular horses standing there. Slightly disappointed, Lizzy turned to William with a questioning look.

"Just listen my dear. Just listen." And so she did.

What she heard though, was unexpected. There was a faint mewling sound. Lizzy listened closer and followed the sound all though the stable. When she finally found the source of the sound, she was surprised. Sitting in the far corner was the stable boy, John, holding two kittens and a tiny puppy. One kitten was a mix of brown, black, and russet. The other was mostly brown, save for the black stripe going from its head, down its back, and ending by the base of its tail. The dog was pure black and had cute floppy ears.

"Oh my! They are so cute! What are their names?"

At Lizzy's exclamation, the rest of the group made their way into the stable.

"They are yours to pick. The little Labrador and the brown, black, and russet kitten are females. The other kitten with the black stripe is a male." said her father. "The mixed kitten is from us and the black striped kitten is from the Bingley's. I'm assuming that the little Lab is from your husband."

William nodded in confirmation. "We hope you like them!" he said with a smile.

"I do! They are the cutest things ever!"

"Lizzy! May Caroline and I name the kittens? Please? We already have names picked out!" Kitty said as Caroline smiled sheepishly.

"What Kitty says is true. Our ideas are the male should be called Fluffy, for he looks fluffy already. The female should be named Sabrina because it is a beautiful name."

Lizzy laughed. "Of course! That shall their names. Fluffy and Sabrina. It sounds perfect! Thank you so much for the ideas. And the puppy shall be named Midnight because she is the color of the midnight sky. Thank you so much everyone!"

Lizzy embraced her mother, father, sisters, Caroline, and Mr. Bingley in thanks. Then she turned around and faced her husband.

"Thank you for everything Will. I shall enjoy having a dog around." And with that, she kissed him on the mouth.

Thanks for reading! Please review, its greatly appreciated! (YAY! The official story is exactly 3,000 words! This thing says otherwise but word counted it as 3,000 on the dot so thats what it is lol)


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